🇺🇸 Homebuying builds financial freedom

Buying or selling a home? Here’s what you need to know͏‌ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ [Better]( Newsletter 🍔 Fund Fact: Backyard barbeque season has officially begun! A [recent survey]( reports that 80% of all homeowners in the U.S. own a grill or smoker. And while July 4th is a top grilling day, 20% reported grilling on Thanksgiving and 14% brrrrrring in the new year at the grill.1 Buying or selling a home? We’ve got you covered: - Check out recent reforms that could improve your loan options - Adjust your sales strategy by asking these tough questions - Fireproof your home before summer heat waves hit Recent federal reforms could improve your homebuying options 💰 Buying a home has traditionally been one of the most significant ways to build wealth, but financing options have not always been equally accessible. For decades, banks and traditional lenders made it nearly impossible to qualify for or maintain homeownership as a person of color. While it’s true that current laws offer more protection from discriminatory lending practices, there’s still major work to be done in addressing the generational wealth gap created by this historical injustice. Today about 71% of white Americans own homes, compared with 41% of Black Americans.2 In an effort to address this problem and drive more equity, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are implementing reforms aimed at helping underserved borrowers. If you struggled to qualify for mortgage financing in the past, the reforms could improve your chances: - A new credit reporting system will allow rent payment history to bolster creditworthiness—a factor that has disproportionately hindered Black homebuyers in the past - Down payment assistance - Improved underwriting guidelines - Lower private mortgage insurance premiums [Check out a full list of reform details here]( then figure out how much home you can afford. Better Mortgage Build a homebuying budget today [Get pre-approved]( Sellers, ask these questions before you put your house on the market ⬆️ Home prices are still high—the median listing price grew by 16.9% over last year.3 The temptation to cash in while these numbers are still high is strong. But certain factors are putting pressure on active house hunters, including: - rising interest rates - increasing inflation, - general market uncertainty Some are starting to look at homes with lower asking prices, while others are putting their search entirely on hold. So, sellers, given these shifts, it could be strategic to reevaluate your priorities and ask whether selling still makes sense. What’s driving your desire to sell? Keep in mind that selling high today may also mean buying high tomorrow—a reality that will have serious implications for your total takeaway amount from the transaction. --------------------------------------------------------------- Can you afford to sell at a lower price? As competition wanes and inventory floods the market, buyers are looking at lower price tags. If you sell for less, you’ll need to adjust other budgets accordingly (whether you’re planning to put that money aside for retirement, travel the world with it, or use it to reinvest in another home.) --------------------------------------------------------------- How long will your home be on the market? The longer your home stays listed, the less likely it is to sell for the amount you want. Talk to an agent about the best pricing strategies, plus get local insights about comparable properties in your area. --------------------------------------------------------------- Better Real Estate Have any questions about selling? [Talk to a Better Real Estate Agent]( Fireproof your home before summer heat hits Severe droughts and record-breaking heat waves mean that wildfires have been on the rise in recent years—and many homes are squarely in the danger zone. If you happen to live in an at-risk home, there are things you can do to safeguard your family and property. Start by asking the local fire department to come out and do a personal fire-risk assessment on your home. It’s a no-cost service that can help you develop a protection strategy for your home—best practices can include removing excess vegetation, keeping combustibles away from your dwelling, and installing fire resistance roofing/siding. There are also [fire insurance options]( that can cover certain losses and damages that occur to or on your property. Better Cover Buy home insurance, then shop or bundle life or auto too. [Learn about Better Cover]( Questions? Let us know purchase@better.com [555.867.5309](tel:1415-523-8837) Was this email helpful? [happy face]( [neutral face]( [sad face]( 1 Source: [HPBA.org]( 2 Source: [USA TODAY]( 3 Source: [Realtor.com]( This newsletter does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of Better Mortgage Corporation; Better Real Estate, LLC; Better Cover, LLC; Better Settlement Services, LLC; or their services. Better Cover is solely responsible for homeowners insurance services. Better Mortgage is solely responsible for making all credit and lending decisions with respect to mortgage loans. [Better] [Better] [social]( [social]( [social]( [social]( © 2022 Better Holdco, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Better is a family of companies. Better Mortgage Corporation provides home loans; Better Real Estate, LLC provides real estate services; Better Cover, LLC provides homeowners insurance policies; and Better Settlement Services provides title insurance services. All rights reserved. Home lending products offered by Better Mortgage Corporation. Better Mortgage Corporation is a direct lender. NMLS #330511. 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, 57th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Loans made or arranged pursuant to a California Finance Lenders Law License. Not available in all states. Equal Housing Lender [Equal Housing Lender]. 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Department of Banking and Insurance (#330511); New Mexico Mortgage Lender License (#330511); Licensed Mortgage Banker - NYS DFS (#LMB-109666); Ohio Residential Mortgage Lending Act Certificate of Registration (#RM.804430.000); Oklahoma Mortgage Lender License (#ML011933); Oregon Mortgage Lending License (#ML-5310); Pennsylvania Mortgage Lender License (#46959); Rhode Island Mortgage Lender License (#20183669LL); South Carolina-BFI Mortgage Lender/Servicer License (#MLS-330511); South Dakota Mortgage Lender License (#ML.05201); Tennessee Mortgage License (#136757); Texas Mortgage Lender License (#330511); Utah Mortgage Entity License (#11448204); Vermont Lender License (#7618); Virginia Lender License (#MC-5863); Washington Consumer Loan License (#CL-330511); Wisconsin Mortgage Banker License (#330511BA); West Virginia Mortgage Lender License (#ML36354); Wyoming Mortgage Lender License (#3369) Better Real Estate, LLC dba BRE, Better Home Services, BRE Services, LLC and Better Real Estate, and operating in the State of California through its wholly owned subsidiary Better Real Estate California, Inc. (collectively, “Better Real Estate”) is a licensed real estate brokerage and maintains its corporate headquarters at 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, 59th Floor, New York, NY 10007. A full listing of Better Real Estate, LLC’s license numbers may be found [here](. Equal Housing Opportunity. All rights reserved. Better Real Estate employs real estate agents (“Better Real Estate Agents”) and also maintains a nationwide network of partner brokerages and real estate agents (“Better Real Estate Partner Agents”). Better Real Estate Partner Agents work with Better Real Estate to provide high quality service outside the service area covered by Better Real Estate Agents or when Better Real Estate Agents experience excessive demand. Homeowners insurance policies are offered through Better Cover, LLC, a Pennsylvania Resident Producer Agency. License #881593. 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, 59th Floor, New York, NY 10007 Better Cover is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Better Mortgage Corporation, Better Real Estate, LLC, Better Settlement Services, LLC and Better Cover, LLC are separate operating subsidiaries of Better Holdco, Inc. Each company is a separate legal entity operated and managed through its own management and governance structure as required by its state of incorporation, and applicable and legal and regulatory requirements. Products not available in all states. The Better Home Logo is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office This email was intended for {EMAIL} [View this email online]( | [Unsubscribe](